Dog Days of Dallas
by hearthandhomeauthor
Summary: After an accident brings Katheryn and Molly under the Malloy's roof for the foreseeable future, the gang has time to relax in each other's company until a member of the family goes missing. Meanwhile, young Isabella Ramirez takes matters into her hands after receiving one too many blows from her father, sending her on a path of danger & hope. / Legacy of Thunder series (no. 11)
1. Part 1

_**A brief thank you to everyone who has read and enjoyed my 'Legacy of Thunder' series so far. I am in this for the long haul and can't wait to see where the life of Katheryn Beaumont and the rest of the gang goes from here. So many adventures, milestones, and chances to impact others await them all. As of this story, it has been nearly one year since I began writing this series. And it is just the beginning! Thank you again for taking the journey with me. It truly means the world to me.**_

 _ **This**_ _ **installment to the saga takes place just shortly after the episode "Special Witness" and before "The Principal" by several weeks.**_

 **Dog Days** PART ONE

"Score! We won!"

Carlos dodged Kath as she reached over in front of him with her free arm to high-five Tommy while the latter two laughed and cheered. They paid little regard to Carlos as he glanced to either side of himself, a sarcastic mien gracing his dark features.

"Hey, we should have you both stay here more often," Trent smiled from his place in the adjacent arm chair. "You know, to keep the place lively."

Molly leaned forward from the other chair nearby to reach for the deck of cards and shuffle them. "The feeling is mutual, Trent, but we wouldn't be here if Kath wouldn't have caused a certain item of the bathroom to enter World War III. You should have seen the mess it made!"

Katheryn returned Molly's glare with an airy scoff. "How was I supposed to know you said 'rush order on Tandy's birthday present' and not 'flush that odor'?"

Smirks and soft laughs drifted across the room.

"Well, it was quite distinguishable in my opinion."

"Molly, I was at the other end of the apartment! Oh, and you could have warned somebody that you had dropped your lip gloss in there several minutes before hand!"

"Okay, you two." Trent smiled, raising his hands to calm the heated discussion. "Either way, we're glad you both are staying here for a few days. Isn't that right?" Trent looked to Carlos in earnest, hoping he'd agree.

"Absolutely," Carlos grinned. "And if I'd known we were having a family slumber party at the Malloy's, I'd have clogged my commode too."

Katheryn let out a rather loud laugh at that point, its contagious nature causing the rest of them to snicker out a few laughs also.

"Well, it wasn't just that," Katheryn inserted, catching her breath in between a few light chuckles as she brushed away a tear from her eye. "It was the flood that ensued also. Some of our carpet will have to be replaced before we can move back in."

Carlos simply nodded and smiled, feeling rather pleased for the opportunity to spend more time with Katheryn no matter what circumstance the notion was under.

"Alright, everyone!" Mrs. Malloy arrived from the adjacent dining room, graced in her shining smile. "Dinner is served."

All five of them worked at gathering themselves off of their respective seats notwithstanding a few groans while Mrs. Malloy turned back towards the dining room, pausing as the couples made their way towards her.

"How's your arm feeling?" Carlos nodded towards Katheryn, noticing her slight wince as she stood.

"It's okay," Katheryn smiled and readjusted her arm in the contraption slightly. "But I won't lie. I can't wait to be rid of the darn thing."

"Carlos," Mrs. Malloy called as Trent and Molly slipped passed her into the dining room.

Carlos raised his eyes with a brief single nod.

"Would you be a dear and go let Tandy and Ty know dinner is ready?"

"Sure," Carlos grinned and parted ways with Katheryn. "Where are they?"

"Oh," Mrs. Malloy chuckled. "They're outside I believe. In the front yard."

Carlos offered one last nod and smile before he rounded the corner into the foyer, the hinges of the entry door sounding a bit to let them know he was headed outside as the door then softly shut behind him.

"So," Trent lowered his voice, glancing briefly behind him and Molly to the living room as if the younger ones were there. After all, it wasn't the first time the twosome had spied on his conversations. "What's this about a rush order on Tandy's birthday present?"

Molly gently smiled at Trent's secretive notions before she spoke, lowering her voice to join in the brief charade. "Katheryn and I saw the most beautiful karate belt rack in a catalogue several months ago. It has a couple of flowers engraved in it along with the option to have their name added. I thought it would look just lovely in her room. With all that's been going on, we haven't had the time to order it. So I called the other day to place the order. In order to get it here on time with having it monogrammed and all, we'll have to pay a bit extra to rush it."

"I see." Trent pulled a chair out for Molly, offering a smile as they briefly met each other's gaze. Trent then found his place at the head of the table while Katheryn took a seat next to Molly across from where she hoped Carlos would be seated for dinner.

Tommy then took the next seat down, leaving exactly three spaces open for the remaining members of the family.

"You know, I'd be glad to help cover the cost." Trent picked up the conversation once he was settled.

"Oh, that's okay," Molly insisted. "Katheryn and I don't mind. Do we?" She turned to her best friend beside her.

"Not at all," Katheryn chimed in with a broad smile, glancing upward to the vague stream of twilight sunshine coming from the window.

"What are you talking about?" Tommy tried wedging into the conversation he was currently oblivious about.

Just then, Carlos entered the dining room with two young Malloys in tow. Carlos noticed how quick the room got quiet and shot a confused glanced towards Trent and Tommy as he passed behind the ladies.

Trent quickly hushed the conversation in all directions and lifted a grin to his younger siblings. "You guys have fun with Moses out there?"

"Yep!" Tandy plopped into the seat next to Katheryn, leaning forward to smile at her big brother on the far left. "And we put him back in his kennel like you told us to." Tandy's lips curled into a frown before the light of Kath's smile changed that into a gentle smile.

"Good for you." Katheryn continued smiling, stroking the little girl's hair as she received a soft giggle in return.

"Wait, why are you putting him in a kennel? He's always seemed so content on the porch."

Trent turned his face up to Carlos, remembering his brief confrontation with Mrs. Williams as he sighed. "It's the new neighbor down the street. It seems she has this idea that Moses has it in for her little Yorkie of which Moses has never set eyes on. But to perhaps prove her wrong, we consented to keep him in the kennel for a while. Maybe that way the real culprit will show up."

"Gotcha." Carlos followed Ty around to the other side of the dining table with a chuckle on his lips as he pictured the lady with the Yorkie in his mind. It had to be a humorous sight nonetheless. They had just taken up the two seats on the other side of the table when Mrs. Malloy returned from the kitchen, the last dinner dish in hand as she settled it on the table and took her place opposite Trent on the other end of the table.

"Let's pray," Trent extended his hands to Molly and Tommy on each of his sides while the rest of the family joined hands and bowed their heads. "Dear Lord, we thank you for this day and the food set before us. Let us never take your blessings for granted. And thank you for the wonderful gift of family and friends as we enjoy the gifts you've given us. In Jesus' name. Amen."

After a host of echoing amens drifted around the table, Trent lifted the first dish of food and began passing it around followed by the usual passing of food as everyone laughed and talked and began another memorable night around the Malloy dinner table.

##

Isabella Ramirez's gaze fell to the ground as she watched her father take another sip of whiskey from the quart-sized bottle he held in hand, limply hanging his arm over the chair as he lay strewn out in front of the television set. He let off a curse word or two as the Cowboys failed to make a touchdown just before he threw the now empty liquor bottle across the room. It barely dodged the young girl as she ducked behind the corner back into the kitchen with a whimper on her breath. Coming out slowly, she felt his eyes secure upon her. She had seen those eyes before. She had seen them last year when mama had threatened him that she was leaving. That was just before he struck her down, leaving her with a scar that had not healed since last she had seen her mother.

It had been quiet evening. Too quiet as she slipped away and to the diner where she had heard rumors that her mother worked. Isabella had peered through the window of the little restaurant, desperately craving the opportunity to run inside and throw her arms around her mother. But she couldn't. She had to get back home before father woke up from another drunken stupor.

"Get over here!" her father snarled, sniffing hard and wiping his nose on his sleeve. "Now!"

Isabella jumped slightly, coming out of the reverie of the memory of her mother before she hurried over to her father's side. "Yes, papa?"

"Is dinner ready, Bella?"

Isabella nodded vigorously. "Almost. It shouldn't be but a moment longer." She almost turned to run away to the meager safety of the kitchen but stopped and turned back. "Papa, I got an A on my test today at school." Isabella waited for her father to respond but got silence in return.

"Come on! You can do better than that!" The man shouted at the television, waving off Isabella with a grunt before he reached for another whiskey bottle. "That's it!" He smiled a bit, the short-lived smile shadowing Bella in fear that he would do something to her. Not even joy from the man was an assumption of safety for the young girl who had been forced to grow up way to fast…if only to survive.

Isabella had almost reached the kitchen when her father's voice stopped her. "Yes, sir?"

"Come back here!" he growled.

Isabella hurried back, her hands folded in front of her as her head hung low.

The man reached for his dwindling pack of cigarettes, drawing one out as Isabella slowly raised her head. "Get me a lighter, girl. And quick!"

Isabella scurried over to the coffee table and picked up the light almost smiling at the fact that it was silly he had asked her to pick up an item that he could have reached for himself. Feeling a bit sympathetic, she glanced at the lighter in her hand and then back at her father. If only he could stop one of his addictions, perhaps the rest would fade away too. Hatching a plan quickly in her mind, Isabella neared her father and proceeded to light the cigarette. Accept the flame had not been drawn. Instead, Isabella hoped her father was so preoccupied that he wouldn't even notice.

He took a couple puffs on the cigarette before he realized it wasn't lit and grabbed Isabella by the arm. She winced in pain as he jerked her closer to himself. "Did you do this?!"

"Y—yes, sir." Isabella could feel his hot breath beating against her face as she cringed, praying in her heart that the beating wouldn't be so hard this time.

Grabbing the lighter from her hand, the man raised it in her face, scoffed, and threw it across the room angrily. Isabella ducked as if it were going to hit her but it hadn't. Meanwhile, her father's grasp lightened. She almost relaxed and smiled, thankful to have escaped a harsh punishment this time. That is, until she felt her father's calloused fist strike her in the chin, sending her across the floor as she writhed in pain, feeling the sting of the punch as she cradled her face in her hands, rocking back and forth.

"Now get up and light this right, Bella! You aren't worth a thing! You hear me?!"

"Y—yes, sir. Coming." Isabella struggled back to her feet, crossing the room to where the lighter remained while trying not to make eye contact with her father. She could also smell a faint burning smell and silently cried as she knew the end of her struggles would not come tonight.

##

Sunset was just barely merging with the night sky when the entire Malloy family plus Carlos, Katheryn, and Molly proceeded out onto the vast veranda to take in the evening over several cups of coffee and much-needed relaxing conversation. The evening was slightly crisp, the spring coolness still holding on as summer tried pushing it out of the way. Secretly, Katheryn treasured it. It was the best feeling. That cool before the Texas heat set in. It was the first spring she had experienced since moving to Texas last year, yet she could hardly believe that summer was upon them and with it was coming one year since she had met these incredible people. Still she pushed that thought aside and decided to live in the present, taking it all in while assuring herself that that anniversary was still months away. It was only April and would be May in just a couple of short days.

"Alright, I'll go set it up!" Tommy yelled behind him to Trent as he darted for the garage to set up the dojo equipment for a quick tournament among friends while the rest of them looked on with smiles from the side porch.

Tandy and Ty scooted past the adults and sat on the steps, their legs outstretched as they examined the pages of a book they had brought outside. Mrs. Malloy hurried to gather a few more chairs from the front of the porch, returning a short moment later and situating them in a circular pattern for the others. Carlos and Katheryn claimed the two that was already there while Molly and Mrs. Malloy settled into the final two Katie had brought all while cradling cups of coffee in hand once they were all settled.

Trent meanwhile was the last to come outside, finding Molly's gaze on him as he stepped onto the porch, a groan gracing his lips as he shut the door behind himself and paused to watch Tommy set up the mat in the driveway.

"Trent," Molly frowned, bringing her coffee to her lap as Trent's groan distracted her. "Are you sure you're up for this? It's only been a few weeks since you got out of the hospital."

Trent sighed. "I know. But I've got to get back going some time. Besides, the stitches are basically all healed up. And the doc's given me a clean bill of health."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't take it easy." Molly glared at him with widened eyes, hoping he'd see that rest was the best way to get back going. She knew nothing would stop him. She liked that about him. But she feared he was hurrying the process along a bit too soon.

Trent wanted to smile, appreciating Molly's concern but held it off and turned to Carlos. "How about it, buddy? Some one-on-one?"

"Nope." Carlos was matter-of-fact as he raised his coffee to his lips for a rather long sip. Agreement shined from his eyes as he gave Trent a look that told all.

Katheryn watched the exchanged in earnest, wondering if Trent would take them all seriously and wait a few more days.

Carlos lowered his mug and stared at his best friend with little emotion coming from his face.

"What?" Trent's breathy chuckle echoed among them. Clearly he couldn't see what was wrong with his actions. Perhaps there wasn't nothing wrong except him friends and family being concerned for his wellbeing.

"Trent," Katie looked her oldest son in the eyes. "We just don't want you to hurry back into your routine until you are healed fully."

"Trent, buddy, the doc may have given you a clean bill of health. But have you forgotten how weak you were just last week at Foley's trial?"

Trent dropped his gaze gently, listening to their concerns as he remembered how little strength he had just to take the witness stand and put Foley away for good. It had felt good. But it did pull an extra amount of effort from him to make it there and testify as he promised he would.

"And what about at the Special Olympics in San Antonio over the weekend?" Katheryn chimed in, proud of Trent for having made it there. It had been a wonderful thing to see Trent stand from the sidelines and cheer on Sally as she took the win. Even from the bleachers she could not have been more proud of him.

"What if I promise to take it easy?" Trent pleaded his case, looking from one person to the other.

"Is there such a thing as 'easy' with you?" Carlos teased with a sly smile coming from the corner of his mouth.

With a bit of a light laugh, Molly was the first to stand, handing off her coffee cup to Katheryn. "I'll go one-on-one with you. After all, I think Trent would go easy on me."

"Oh, really?" There was a twinkle in Trent's eye as he received what was ultimately an ultimatum from the woman who had slowly begun to work her way into his mind fairly often over the past month.

"Alright!" Tommy bounded across the driveway and skipped a step or two up to the veranda, landing next to Trent. "You ready?"

Trent still held Molly's gaze, drawing Tommy's eyes from Trent to Molly then back again.

"Hello?" Tommy prodded.

"Tommy, little brother, looks like I'll be working out with Molly tonight."

Tommy almost smiled but stopped in time, scoffing softly instead as he quelled his own slight dose of disbelief. "Alright. Have fun." Tommy paused and pointed a finger at Trent. "But you take it easy!"

"I will!" Trent insisted with a light chuckle.

Tommy then proceeded to corral Tandy and Ty for a brief lesson on the mat while Molly retreated inside the house to change, leaving Trent in route for the pads and equipment that Tommy had just retrieved from the garage moments ago.

A few moments passed before Katheryn cast a quick glance up to the sky above at least as much as she could see beyond the veranda while she sipped on her hot drink. She was mostly in a rather pensive state, admiring the stars on such a clear night. "Such a beautiful night, isn't it?"

"That it is," Mrs. Malloy agreed, turning her gaze to the coming night sky. "A night like this would be perfect for camping."

"Oh, it would! We should plan a camping trip this summer."

"That's a wonderful idea, Katheryn!" Katie turned a smile to Katheryn. "Perhaps we could plan one after the state karate tournament in a few weeks."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Katheryn posed a frown as she sipped some more of her coffee.

"Don't forget about the race." Carlos winked to Katheryn, bringing up the coming event that had excited them all.

Katheryn sank a bit into her thoughts, remembering that Team Cherokee would be competing again this year in races at Texas Motor Speedway in a few weeks. And Katheryn swore she wouldn't miss it for the world.

"How could I forget?" Katheryn turned a hearty grin to Carlos. "I can't believe I'm finally going. I've dreamed of it for a while, but I never was able to work it out."

"Well, we can definitely remedy that."

"And I can't wait," Katheryn chuckled softly before she evened out her smile. "I have to admit I'm rather excited to meet the Falcons. One day I'm going with Ranger Walker to the reservation. I would love to meet some of the families and learn more about the Cherokee."

"It's a wonder you haven't made your way there already," Mrs. Malloy inserted, remembering some of Katheryn's comments in the past in regards to her love of the Native peoples.

"I guess I've been kind of busy," Katheryn chuckled, thinking back on all the cases she had helped solve since divinely encountering the Texas Rangers and Miss Cahill last August. "The past ten months have flown by so fast."

"That they have," Carlos agreed with a nod, cherishing the last sip of coffee in his cup with a grin. "Maybe we'll just have to tell the clock to slow down a little bit so that we can keep up."

"How I wish!" Katheryn's eyes twinkled a bit as she gave Carlos a heart-felt smile.

Mrs. Malloy hid her own smiles behind her coffee cup as she watched the two love birds exchanging silent sentiments with only their eyes before she cleared her throat and stood to her feet. "Well, if you two don't mind, there's a mountain of dishes awaiting me."

Katheryn snapped out of it long enough to gather herself quickly to her feet. "Oh, would you like me to help?"

"No, no," Katie insisted, waving her back to her seat. "You young folks enjoy yourself out here. I'll be back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Mrs. Malloy chuckled almost sternly as she accepted Katheryn and Carlos' empty mugs and proceeded inside, passing Molly as the latter arrived onto the veranda in search of Trent.

"He's in the garage," Carlos directed with a nod of his head, already knowing what Molly would ask.

"Thanks." Molly grinned before hurrying forward into the ensuing moonlight. The meager light highlighted her thin frame well. Molly was dressed in a pair of faded jeans with an oversized t-shirt, yet she still looked just as beautiful in that attire as any other.

Katheryn could tell that the thought was a mutual one as she saw Trent emerge from the garage and pause as Molly ceased her step in front of him. She could have sworn he stumbled over a word or two as he carried a few pieces of equipment into the open. Katheryn waited quietly, her patience being rewarded as she heard Trent tell Molly how pretty she looked before they proceeded to the mat for a bit beginner defense skill exercise.

Meanwhile, Carlos noticed Katheryn watching them intently. He also took notice with a smile. "They make a nice couple, don't they?"

"Yes, they do." Katheryn could see Carlos almost smirking at her as she watched Trent and Molly so intently from afar. She swatted his arm with the back of her hand with an exhale. "I'm just curious."

"PI instincts, right?"

"Of course," Katheryn shrugged, insisting upon her innocence.

"Katheryn?" Tandy had stood and made her way onto the veranda a second later, stopping between Carlos and Katheryn.

Katheryn smiled and gave the little girl her full attention. "What is it, Tandy?"

"Would you like to come check on Moses with me? I'm afraid he's all alone. Maybe he needs a friend."

Carlos and Katheryn exchanged a smile as the latter rose to her feet, taking Tandy's hand securely. "I'd love to. Let's go." The two ladies hurried from the veranda and past Trent and Molly towards the back of the house where Moses' kennel was kept, the twosome full of smiles until they both suddenly stopped in unison at the large cage-like structure, their eyes widening at the same time.

"Katheryn?!" Tandy's voice shook as she gripped Kath's hand a bit harder.

Katheryn took a step forward to be sure she wasn't seeing things. "Are you sure you closed it good?"

Tandy nodded eagerly. "Uh-huh. I'm sure. And Ty double-checked it I'm sure!" The little girl was almost in tears as no trace of Moses seemed to show while the door to the kennel remained wide open.

Katheryn quickly knelt down and gathered Tandy in her arms. "Shhh! It's okay. I'm sure he just wandered down the road. It'll be okay, sweetheart." She reached a hand to cup the little girl's head and gently stroke it with a few more comforting words following.

By now the sounds of Tandy's sobs had reached Trent and Molly, drawing them and subsequently Carlos to the scene as he saw them hurry away.

"What happened?" Trent slipped into the concern of a big brother as he noticed Tandy's tear-stained face.

Tandy shifted from Katheryn to Trent, letting her big brother wrap her in his strong embrace. "Moses is gone," she sniffled, a wayward tear falling on Trent's shoulder.

"What do you mean 'Gone', honey?"

Katheryn pointed to the kennel, making eye contact with Carlos. "It was wide open when we got here. Tandy promises it was secure when she and Ty left it."

Trent pulled Tandy back to look her in the eyes. "Is that the truth, Tandy?"

"It is! I swear it is," she sobbed into her brother's shoulder.

Molly couldn't hide her sympathies for the little girl as she creased her forehead, her lips pursed into a frown. "Where could he have gone?"

Carlos pointed behind himself with his thumb, glancing towards Katheryn. "We'll go knock on a few doors and see if anyone has seen him."

Katheryn nodded and joined Carlos as they proceeded down the drive on foot, leaving 118 Providence Way in route for the nearest homes nearby. Hopefully this would all be summed up into nothing more than a misunderstanding. That is, hopefully it would be solved before Mrs. Williams' Yorkie was bothered again by whatever menace had plagued the neighborhood over the course of the past week.


	2. Part 2

"Dog Days of Dallas" PART TWO

Isabella Ramirez took one glance down the hall with her hand on her bedroom's doorframe to be sure her father was still asleep before she darted back inside under the cover of midnight darkness. She quietly shut the door, praying that the hinges wouldn't make a noise just this one time. It was left ajar just a bit. Just enough for her to hear if father woke up. Then she went to work, grabbing at as much as she could among her few, treasured belongings. She knew she couldn't take everything. But as she stood there with the framed picture of her mother in her hand, she wished with all her heart she could take something of her mother's memory with her. With another shallow breath and glance toward the door, Isabella flipped over the frame in her hand and ripped the back off as fast as possible, slightly crimpling the prized photo as it popped out and into her hands. She then tossed the empty from underneath her bed. Maybe papa wouldn't look under there.

Slipping the glossy matte in the front pocket of her backpack, Isabella checked all the zippers once before she threw the heavy bag over her shoulder, slipping her arm in through the other side while feeling the thud of the weight on her back. It was too heavy. She knew it would be better to leave something behind. But she just couldn't. If she had her way, she'd never live to see this place again.

After trudging to the edge of the room and opening the door a bit wider, Isabella paused, her hand still on the door as she turned to look the room over once more. She had once been happy here. She had played her music, talked to friends on the phone with broaden smiles, and even had that one heart-felt talk with her mother. Little did they know it would be the last.

The moonlight coming from the far window seemed to highlight the tear that slid down the girl's cheeks before she finally let go of the door, wrapping her hand around the knob to close the door gently and quietly. With a quickened sigh, she tiptoed through the house, the slightest creak of the floor sending a shiver up her spine as she crossed the living room to the front door before kicking her feet up and hurrying through the front door. She tried to control herself long enough to be quiet with the front door. But in no time she was at full speed again, charging down the road with more than one burden weighing her down as she looked ahead to a future that was just barely out of reach.

##

"Alright, Butch. Thanks. I will." Trent clicked off the phone and tossed it lightly across the short way to the sofa in the living room before letting himself rest his weight in the nearby armchair. He buried his face in his hands, rubbing back and forth over stifled sighs.

Molly wasn't sure if Trent noticed her enter from the adjacent dining room, cradling a steaming cup of coffee as she slowly took a few steps forward. "Who was that?"

Trent removed his hands from his face and leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees as he folded his hands together. "That was Butch reminding me to take it easy." He scoffed, a bit of a laugh echoing across the room as he glanced up and then back down. "Molly, I'm liable to go insane if I _rest_ any more." Trent proceeded to rub his face in his hands again.

"Maybe you could start doing something." Molly took the seat on the sofa nearest Trent, letting the morning sunlight warm her arm as she took a sip of her coffee in hand.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. What about paperwork or such at the dojo?"

"Done. I did the last bit to catch up on from my bedroom last night."

"How about the women's self-defense classes at the H.O.P.E. center?"

"Katheryn helped me rearrange the schedule where I could rest more and let Tommy lead that for a while."

"Maybe there's a small case for the protection agency you could handle that wouldn't require much combat?"

Trent nearly chuckled. "Haven't had a new case in a week. And even if I did, Katheryn would clobber me for pushing myself too far. Carlos would too. And I'd hate to see him try those latest jujutsu moves I taught him."

"Alright, you two. There's the bus."

Trent and Molly glanced beyond the living room to the foyer where Katheryn was corralling the youngest Malloys for school.

"But what if Moses comes back?" Tandy's bottom lip sagged a bit.

Katheryn squatted low, taking Tandy gently by the shoulders as best she could with her right arm still in the sling. "Then I'll be sure he knows to greet you the moment you get back home." She rose to her feet and had shut the door behind Tyler and Tandy before stopping in to check on Trent and Molly. "Well, I'm off to the H.O.P.E. center. Josie's got to tend to something this morning and asked me to come in a bit earlier. I'll try to do a little investigating from her computer if I can."

"Alright. Have fun." Trent raised his gaze and nodded.

Katheryn turned a sarcastic smile to Trent, clearly sensing the angst edging his voice. She knew he would love nothing better than to track down the family dog on his own alongside Katheryn. But it wasn't the wisest decision, he'd agree.

"Hey, if you mind what Molly says today I might be convinced to let you out on parole for a brief errand of some kind in the next couple of days." Katheryn winked and was gone around the corner and up the stairs before Trent had a chance to quell his smile with a genius comeback.

As silence settle between them again, Molly finished off the last bit of coffee in her cup turning a tight-lipped smile downward as Trent sighed and sank back into his thoughts while lean back in the chair.

"It's funny," Trent smiled. "Every time I get to feel this way, sparring seems to help. I remember when I first came back home. I was so antsy that it took Walker getting me in the ring for me to see things a bit clearer."

Molly lifted her eyes to Trent as she listened, valuing the opportunity to hear about his past. "Katheryn and I have talked a few times about how we feel like we've missed a whole lifetime with you guys. It seems you have done so much before we even came to Dallas last year."

"Yeah, that's true," Trent shifted his smile to Molly with a turn of his head. "But what's most important is the days to come. Who knows what we'll all be getting involved in down the road."

Molly grinned and took a step back in her thoughts before she decided to finally ask Trent something that had been weighing on her thoughts for some time. "Trent, where do you see yourself in five…ten years?"

"That's kind of deep. But, um," Trent stifled his smile, straightening up a bit in his chair. "I don't know really. I love what I'm doing what with the dojo and the protection agency that I really don't see myself doing anything much different than that. I'm sure it may look a bit different over time. Depending on what happens in my life. But in general, my focus won't change."

"You think you'll ever settle down?"

"Settle down?" A slight scoff mingled with his chuckled. "I suppose if the right girl came along…" Trent paused, his gaze meeting Molly's as his words trailed off.

"Well, I'm off!" Katheryn's voice echoed a bit as she landed on the first floor and aimed for the door, pausing to wave goodbye.

"Alright, stay safe!" Trent called out as he pulled himself from the moment and stood, clearing his throat while trying to remember what he needed to do around the house. The list seemed kind of short in his mind considering all the time he had on his hands the past week to accomplish certain things as his family would allow. Katheryn's Stingray roared a bit in the distance as she accelerated away from the Malloy residence, the familiar sound leaving Trent to battle his own inward thoughts.

"Trent." Molly stood and followed him to Thunder's old office. "I've been meaning to ask if you'd like to go out to Walker's and look at Remington for me. I was out there a few days ago and wasn't sure if I might need to call the vet about something."

"Well I'm no expert," Trent argued. "You should ask Walker to take a look."

"But I'm sure he's pretty busy. Besides, it's a rather nice day out." Molly glanced out the window over Trent's shoulder while watching him thumb through some paper's on his father's desk.

Trent thought about it for a moment before he raised a smile. "Only if you let me drive my 'Vette there."

"It's a deal," Molly beamed and bounded from the room to go help Mrs. Malloy finish the breakfast dishes so that they could leave as soon as possible before anyone dared convince Trent to spend another day home.

##

"Hey, Walker." Trivette spun around to face the senior Ranger with a grin slipping from the corner of his mouth.

Walker sipped his coffee and returned it to its coaster. "What is it?"

"I got an idea." A brief moment of silence filled in the gap in the Company B office.

Walker handed off a file to another Ranger before turning to face his partner. "What's that?"

"We should go fishing this weekend. Things are kind of slow. And I hear the fish are biting pretty good this time of year at White Rock Lake."

"I thought you had a date this weekend."

"I did," Trivette cleared his throat. "But, um, not anymore."

"Oh?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Walker smiled to himself and reached for more coffee just as Trivette's phone rang vigorously from across the short distance.

"Trivette." Trivette tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder before entering a few words onto his computer. It was a short wait later until he stopped and turned around, his eyes widening as he was in the process of standing up. "Alright, we'll be right there." He tossed the phone back on the hook and reached behind himself for his Stetson. "Walker, there's been a murder over in Deep Ellum."

Walker too was up before Trivette could explain further, following his partner away from their office swiftly. They arrived on the scene a short while later to the sight of four DPD-related vehicles. Two were patrol and the other detectives. A long row of yellow tape guarded the small area around the little suburban home, reflecting the blue and red lights surrounding it. Detective Sandoval was already there and noticed the Rangers from across the yard, stopping his conversation with fellow officers as he crossed the distance to brief them on the situation.

"What do we got?" Walker stated as the young detective approached them.

Carlos glanced at the house and then back at Walker and Trivette. "Man in his forties was found dead this morning. Seems a neighbor couldn't stand the dog barking up and storm and came to tell him to quiet the dog down. When he did, he noticed the door was unlocked and decided to go in just to check things out. That's when he found the body still in bed."

"What was the cause of death?" Trivette queried.

"Stab wound. Kitchen knife according to the M.E."

Walker glanced around, noticing the crowd of neighbors nearby. "Any witnesses?"

Carlos shook his head. "No. Except we do know that he didn't live alone. The neighbor says he lived with his little girl."

"Is she here?"

Carlos shook his head again.

Trivette looked over to Walker. "What proof do we have that the neighbor isn't our prime suspect?"

"Forensics says the man has been dead for at least twelve hours," Carlos explained.

Walker nodded, returning to his thoughts as he processed the information at hand. "Where's the daughter now?"

"I don't know. We did notice that there appears to be some things missing from her room. Maybe she was over at a sleepover or something." Carlos shrugged and rubbed at his neck, evaluating the situation once more before Detective Kelly motioned for him from a nearby squad car. He turned back to Walker and Trivette. "I'll let you know if I find out anything more." Carlos parted with the Rangers, making his way across the yard.

"Okay."

Walker and Trivette proceeded forward and inside the house, easing past the other officers and crime units to find a rather well-kept living space. That is, until they noticed a couple of shattered whiskey bottles and strewn beer bottles next to the recliner in a nearby corner. The two Rangers continued to observe their surroundings quite thoroughly as they proceeded down the hall to the scene of the crime just as the coroner was finishing up their preliminary work. As far as they could see, no blood stains were nearby indicating a case of struggle. And the weapon was nowhere to found.

"Pretty clean job," Trivette inserted with a scoff. "For a cold-blooded murder that is."

"Yeah," Walker sighed. "From the looks of it, whoever did this knew what they were doing."

Trivette nodded in agreement as the twosome strode out of the bedroom and into the next one, presumably belonging to the daughter. Walker immediately noticed the scattered clothing and sparse closet. The bed had not been slept in, and there were some schoolbooks laying haphazard on the covers.

Trivette noticed a piece of glass on the carpet and stooped low, glancing briefly under the bed. "Hey, Walker. Look at this."

Walker lowered himself for a look, quickly taking notice of what had caught Trivette's eye. He reached out for the item and examined it. "Looks like the remnants of a picture frame." He handed the pieces to Trivette.

"Hey, there's another photo in here." Trivette slipped out a wallet-sized photo that was much smaller than the frame, taking notice of the little baby in the photo. He flipped it over and read the words written in plain black ink. "Isabella Jean Ramirez. 1987." Trivette raised his eyes to Walker. "Could this be her?"

"Could be." Walker thought for a minute. "Trivette, call Katheryn Beaumont and see if she and Trent can work on finding this Isabella Ramirez."

"Alright," Trivette reached inside his coat pocket for his cell phone. He dialed the number and put the device to his ear. "You do know what she'll say, right?"

Walker nodded. "Yeah. And tell her Walker said it's okay."

"Alright," Trivette echoed just in time before Mrs. Malloy answered the phone. "Is Katheryn there, Mrs. Malloy? Okay. Thank you." Trivette followed Walker as the latter began making his way from the room. "Katheryn's at the H.O.P.E. center."

"Okay. We'll stop by there on the way back to headquarters."

##

Katheryn Beaumont laughed a bit as she squatted low, reaching across the coffee table with her free hand for the red crayon as she passed it to the little boy she had been commissioned to watch while his mother met with Miss Cahill in an adjacent room of the H.O.P.E. center. His little eyes shined as he drew some random picture to his own heart's delight, covered only by Katheryn's encouraging remarks as he grasped each crayon in his little hand and pushed it back and forth on the construction paper.

Hearing an engine stall to a stop in the distance, Katheryn smiled to the little boy as she stood up and patted him on the back. "You keep it up, William. Good work. I'll be right back." Katheryn caught a brief glance at Walker's Dodge RAM as she stood to her full height and passed by a window on her way into the foyer. She tried keeping one ear towards the room William was in, meeting the Rangers just as they entered the center.

Trivette was the first to offer a Kath a brief hug and smile. "Hey, Kath. What's up? I thought you were going to stay home and investigate Moses' disappearance more."

"I was." Katheryn tamed her smile, slipping her hands into her jeans pockets. "But Josie was tied up with some other things. Alex asked if I'd come in and help for at least until lunch. Then I'll probably go back home."

"Gotcha," Trivette grinned and waited for Walker to pick up the end of the conversation.

"Katheryn," Walker turned a brief smile her way. "I've got a case for you and Trent."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. We just spoke to Carlos at the scene of a murder that happened overnight. The man lived with his daughter. But she's seems to have disappeared."

Trivette reached into his coat pocket, handing Katheryn the photo they had taken from the residence. "Her name is Isabella Ramirez. If the date on that photo is her date of birth, she would be about twelve years old."

Katheryn accepted the photo from Trivette and studied it for a moment before Walker began speaking again.

"I need you and Trent to see if you can track her down." His face seemed to grow more solemn as he spoke. "Sadly, she's the only suspect we have."

Katheryn's eyes narrowed as her mouth gently gaped open. "This little girl? Committing a murder?"

"She ran away from home, Kath," Trivette insisted.

"But how could a twelve year old girl commit murder?"

"That's what I want you and Trent to figure out," Walker winked and offered a smile.

Katheryn was hesitant to agree. On one hand, she knew Walker would know best. On the other hand, Trent was still quite weak. Any chance of combat in the near future was not what he needed. "Walker, are you sure Trent should be taking on a case this soon?"

"Katheryn," Walker sighed, drawing a side-ways grin from Trivette. "Trent needs to get back on his feet sometime. I know you all care about him. But you can't be doing all the work and telling him to rest. He needs to step back in the game sometime or another. And I think this is the perfect time."

With a downward glance, Katheryn finally lifted a smile to Walker. "How could I have doubted? Okay, Ranger Walker. We'll get on it right away."


	3. Part 3

"Dog Days of Dallas" PART THREE

Trent was a bit reluctant as he turned and watched Molly from a distance, leading Remington out of Walker's barn and over to the pasture fence where Trent had been resting and admiring the beautiful land before him with his foot propped on the bottom tier. The feeling of not belonging suddenly played him somewhat subtly. He had been around horses a lot. He even liked riding. But somehow he couldn't quite wrap his mind around the fact that Molly trusted his opinion about whatever the problem was with Remington.

Molly had mounted the steed before Trent had fully gathered his thoughts and galloped gently across the short way to the fence opening where she entered the broad pasture, taking the horse for a couple of laps around the big yard.

"He seems just fine to me!" Trent called to Molly a few seconds later after studying both horse and ride, returning to his relaxed position on the fence and folding his hands atop the wooden structure.

"I know!" Molly was breathing harder as she pulled up the reins to bring the horse to a stop near Trent. "It's the funniest thing. He seems fine now. I thought I'd ride him to see if he would do what he was doing the other day. Hey, maybe if you ride him you might could get a feel of him a bit better." Molly beamed a smile and dismounted rather quickly, extending the reins to Trent.

Trent backed off of the fence with a chuckle on his breath. "Molly, I shouldn't."

"Oh, come on. Just a few laps won't kill you."

"If Kath or Carlos were here…"

"But they're not! It's just you and me and Remington. Trent," Molly sighed, looking away briefly. "You've got to get back going sometime. I think you've been babied so much the past week that you're getting comfortable in it."

"I am not," Trent argued, his voice edging a sharp tone he suddenly didn't like. "I just agree with the majority that I shouldn't push myself until I'm fully healed."

Molly was tempted to mount up and ride away for a while but held her ground, turning instead to look at Ranger Walker's ranch house and admire its beauty. Anything to keep her from saying something she'd regret. She had nearly done that already. And Trent meant more to her than to risk anger between them. Yet it was her indignation that was the drive behind the fact that she cared. Molly would rue the day Trent ever slacked in what he was called to do. His father's legacy meant the world to him. Death had not won him. So surely these steps to recovery couldn't claim him as defeated either.

"Look," Trent exhaled, glancing down and back to gaze over the pasture again. "I'm sorry. You're right. I should do more. But tricking me into coming to look at a perfectly healthy horse isn't going to help matters much."

Molly looked up to see Trent's gentle smile as she realized he had found her out. "Was it that obvious?"

"I'm afraid so. You see, you wouldn't have ridden Remington that hard just a second ago if you were really concerned about him. You would have had me look at him first." Trent's scoff mingled with another smile. "Besides, you're much too smart for that."

"I should have known I wouldn't fool a private investigator."

Molly was still busy processing Trent's slightly endearing words when a cell phone suddenly sounded from the seat of Trent's Stingray nearby. It rang for another moment before Trent hurried towards it, flipping open the device and putting it to his ear.

"Trent Malloy."

Molly watched as Trent listened in, secretly trying to determine the nature of the call while she stroked Remington's mane.

"Alright," Trent nodded and paced slowly back towards Molly. "Yeah. I'll be right there." Trent closed the phone and held it by his side. "That was Kath. Walker's asked us to find a girl that went missing. Her father was murdered this morning, and she's the only suspect so far."

"That's awful." Molly's eyes narrowed under the thought of such an atrocity. "Just be careful, Trent. Please." She turned pleading eyes to Trent this time as he looked at her solemnly.

"I always am," Trent promised. "Here. I'll help you get Remington back to the barn."

##

Katheryn looked to the door of Uppercuts for the fifth time as she absentmindedly listened to the sound of a rain shower mingled with that of a rock and roll tune. She turned a sigh from her lips as she went back to cradling a tall glass of sweet tea while being secretly wary of why Trent had not yet arrived to their scheduled meeting place. Butch was busy tending a customer on the other side of the bar when he caught a glimpse of Katheryn from the corner of his eye and made his way over to her. He stood silent for a couple of seconds waiting for Katheryn to even know he was there.

"Why the long face?"

Katheryn shook off her reverie and raised a smile before inhaling deeply. "Oh, I'm just worried about Trent. He's late. Walker wants us to find a missing girl, and we planned to meet up here."

Butch furrowed his eyebrows in thought as he circled the bar, taking a seat on the barstool next to Katheryn. "Correct me if I'm wrong. But that doesn't seem like something to be so dismal about."

"Oh, I'm not dismal really. Just—just concerned I guess."

"About?"

"Trent." Katheryn paused for a quick sip of tea. She then remembered her conversation with Walker that afternoon, turning up a smile as she swallowed her beverage. "Walker put me in my place this afternoon when I doubted if Trent should be back on a case so soon. Yet I still worry that he may try pushing himself too hard before he's ready."

"What makes you think he isn't ready?" Butch held back a keen smile, knowing the answer to his rather rhetorical question.

"He just isn't," Katheryn insisted but could hear the wrong in her words as they came out of her mouth. She scoffed amid a smile and turned her gaze back to her tea. "I get it."

"Trent's lucky to have good friends like you in his corner. Don't be ashamed about being worried about your friends. That makes you just that much more valuable to them. I'd rue the day I didn't have at least one person worry about me. I just hope they'd keep the fact to themselves."

Katheryn finally smiled and had almost worked her tea glass to empty when the rain shower suddenly became louder before it dissipated and was replaced by the sound of a shutting door as Trent entered, brushing the fresh rain drops off of his leather coat.

"Well then, looked what the cat drug in." Butch beamed a smile as he stood and made his way back to the bar, pausing once to give Trent a handshake.

"Hey, Butch," Trent smiled and turned to Kath. "Sorry I'm late."

Katheryn's smile faded, her eyes darting from Trent to her watch as she sighed. "Where have you been? I've been waiting almost twenty minutes."

"Sorry," Trent echoed. "I was out at Walker's ranch for a few minutes."

"What for?"

"Molly asked me to take a look at Remington for her."

"Trent," Katheryn pleaded and almost gave him a slight tongue-lashing but held it back as she felt Butch's eyes on her to remind her of what they had just briefly discussed. "Well, I hope you both had fun."

"On the contrary," Trent confessed. "I think Molly tricked me."

"What do you mean?"

Trent smiled, clearly more pleased about the happenstance excursion than Kath had at first assumed. "She used Remington as an excuse to get me out of the house."

"I guess it worked?" Katheryn held back a grin.

Trent nodded just before a slight chuckle preceded his sigh. "I must admit it felt rather good to get out to Walker's ranch. Makes me think Mom's right. We should plan a camping trip soon."

"I agree. And it's good to hear you being perky again. Now, what do you say we get going?"

"I just got here," Trent scoffed, sitting up a bit straighter as he pleaded his case.

Katheryn was quickly on her feet and slipping off her sling briefly to put her arms into her leather jacket as she smiled and patted Trent on the back. "I've been waiting already. Now let's get going." She then replaced her arm in the sling and ambled forward, pausing by the door once and looking back at Trent with eyebrows raised. "You coming?!"

Trent held back a chuckle as he looked over to Butch with his mouth gapping open slightly. "Can you believe this? One minute she didn't even want me lifting a pinky finger. Now she's cracking the whip."

Butch only grinned and issued his goodbyes before watching the two young PIs slip out of the door and into the now lightly-falling raindrops.

"So where should we start?" Katheryn was the first to speak up as she closed the passenger door of the Corvette behind her against the cold, wet drops. She shivered just a bit as she settled into the warmth of the familiar interior.

Trent shut his door at about almost the same time, cranking the engine and accelerating away from Uppercuts before he answered. "I think we should start with the neighbors. If Isabella left home at any point before the murder took place, maybe someone saw her leave."

"Good thinking." Katheryn processed Trent's words before she cocked a glance back to him. "So you don't think she did it?"

"I don't know," Trent admitted with a sigh. "I can't imagine a twelve year old girl doing something like that. I guess I'm kind of hoping she didn't do it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Katheryn turned to watch downtown Dallas flash by as she refocused her attention on the task at hand.

"You got the address?"

"Yup!" Katheryn drew out the piece of paper Trivette had given her. She called out the address to Trent and relaxed into the comfortable leather to prepare herself as they drew closer to finding out just what this was all about.

##

"Young man! Young man! Stop, young man!"

Tommy Malloy ceased his step on the neighborhood sidewalk that paralleled Providence Way and lifted up an unheard sigh before he lethargically turned around to face the voice that called after him from a nearby porch. He had almost made it home. Ten more yards and he would have been in the clear. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Young man," Mrs. Williams echoed as she hurried down the steps, stopping at the edge of her yard. "Come here right now, young man."

Ambling over to Mrs. Williams, Tommy tried to smile. "Yes, Mrs. Williams?"

The middle-aged woman breathed hard and feigned a level of shaken emotion as she pointed back towards her own house. "My little Yorkie Fifi has been under the weather all day! Can you believe that?"

"Yes, I can," Tommy muttered under his breath.

"Fifi won't eat his food and hardly says a word! He's emotionally unstable now! No thanks to that menacing golden retriever of yours!"

"Now, you hold it right there, lady! Moses wouldn't harm a flea!"

"Oh, is that right?" She propped a hand on her hip. "Then explain why my Fifi is ruined for life!"

"I can't!" Tommy outstretched his hands, almost begging for mercy. "You see, ma'am. Moses ran away from home. He disappeared."

"You mean you let that devil out?!"

"Not on purpose!"

"Well, I will see to it that the authorities find out!"

"Mrs. Williams, my brother is a private investigator. I'm sure we'll be able to find him. Besides, if it _was_ Moses, don't you think we would have seen him around here lately?!"

Mrs. Williams crossed her arms at her chest and puffed a sigh. "I suppose. That still doesn't mean he's innocent!" She shook her finger in Tommy's face.

"Okay, look." Tommy took a deep breath, relaxing his weight on one foot while running a hand through his hair. "All I can promise is that we will let you know the minute we find Moses. Until then, I politely ask that you quit throwing accusations where they don't belong." With that, Tommy marched away, aiming straight for his house without another word spoken.

##

Nighttime came again far too soon for the young girl who was oblivious to anything other than the idea of her assumed successful escape from hell itself. It was well-nigh nine o'clock she figured as she listened to the distant roar of the downtown Dallas train and watched a couple of restaurant owners flip around their closed signs and lock up for the night. Her head hung low still as she saw this, realizing for the first time in her life that she was homeless. The thought tore into her sharply, triggering a wayward tear that she brushed away quickly while pressing on across the sparse back alley streets of the city. She continued to feel the weight of her knapsack pulling her downward, but she fought against the urge to rest. She had to keep moving. Besides, she wouldn't admit that she was lost. And losing the piece of paper that had her mother's address on it didn't help matters much. It was rather stupid, she scoffed as she remembered how a burly man tumbled out of that roadhouse just past two in the morning and slammed into her. She had caught her weight with her hands on the pavement in time only to see that slip of paper fall to the ground, swept away by the wind, and carried off into a nearby drainage pipe. The big man only laughed and bellowed his way onto his motorcycle before revving the engine and hurrying away from the teary-eyed girl. Since then, she had wandered the city and suburbs with no idea where she was or who she could trust. And now another day of her life had been wasted.

Isabella walked about another tiresome mile before she came to a secluded park just behind a cluster of stores and restaurants. It was too dark for her liking with little streetlight and more shadows than she dared count. But as she watched a couple laugh and carry on while pecking a few kisses, she breathed a silent prayer of thanks as they finally left the bench they shared. For it meant a moment of rest for Isabella.

Waiting until the twosome were out of view, the young girl darted from behind a bush and hurried to the bench, nearly collapsing her weight onto the hard surface. She never knew such a compromising condition could mean such relief at a time like this. Isabella then slipped out of her backpack and set it beside her, running a hand against her tired face as she concluded her backpack would be as good of a pillow as any she supposed. She had just made her mind up to accept what she couldn't change when a rustling in the nearby bushes stole her attention. She could feel her heart rate accelerate as she held on to the edge of the bench seat with all her might, hoping that she was just hearing things. But the sound didn't stop.

"Hello?" Isabella's voice was a bit hoarse as she called softly at first, hoping it would do some good. "Is—is anyone out there?"

No one answered. But the young woman could have sworn she heard a grunt of some kind. With a furrowed brow, she cocked her head, examining the scene with a crooked smile.

"Hello? Show yourself. Whoever you are."

A few more seconds passed before a parting in the bushes finally revealed a four-legged creature with a twig balanced on its head as it bounded forward and towards Isabella. It scared her almost senseless but made her happy at the same time.

"Why, you!" The girl rubbed on the dog's head for a few seconds, the affection being freely reciprocated by panting and licks on her face. Isabella giggled as she felt the slobber before she tried defending herself, setting her hand on the dog's back in hopes he would relax some. "Okay! Okay! Settle down now."

The dog did as he was bid, letting Isabella get a better look at him. "Where's your master, boy?" She rubbed at his neck, lifting his chin to look in his eyes. "Are you all alone like me? Or did you run away from home…like I did?" Isabella frowned on that last note only to feel the friendly golden retriever tuck his chin against her leg. She tried smiling some more at the affectionate notion, giving the dog a pat on the head before she noticed his collar.

"Hmm…" Isabella ran her finger against the item as she glanced over the metal tag. "Malloy. 118 Providence Way." She looked the dog in the eyes again. "Is that your home, boy?"

The canine whimpered a bit before he nosed up against Isabella again.

"You want to go home?" Isabella smiled as she scratched the dog on his head. "I know. I do to. But I can't. Say, you and me may have been destined to find each other. We both left home. We probably did so for very good reasons. So maybe we can keep each other company."

The dog barked out loud.

"Shh!" Isabella brought her finger to her lips. "Do you want someone to find us? Now, we'll be home soon you and me. I'm going to find my momma. I just know it. I don't need an address. Besides, I know she's been looking for me too. It's only a matter of time before we find that diner. And we can't ask anyone for directions just in case papa has reported me as missing. Because I'm not lost. I'm not missing." She sniffed away a tear. "I don't ever want to go home again."

With that, Isabella leaned her head down against her backpack and willed herself to rest, ending up crying herself to sleep as she was lulled by Moses' sweet panting by her side on the grasses below.


	4. Part 4

"Dog Days of Dallas" PART FOUR

"Well, that was a waste of time." Trent plopped down on the sofa with Katheryn close behind him as he let a sigh roll listlessly off his lips. He ran a hand through his hair as he felt a slight twinge of pain in his chest that told him he may have pushed himself too far. But it had felt good to get out today. Therefore he probably wouldn't be letting on about the small pain any time soon. A hearty dinner and a good night's rest was all he needed.

"No it wasn't," Katheryn insisted as she relaxed in the armchair nearby. "We'll just head back out first thing in the morning and keep knocking on doors. We only talked to three neighbors today. I'm sure the next one we talk to will have seen her."

"You're right." Trent managed a meager grin, chiding himself silently that he had been so negative at first.

Katheryn cocked a glance towards Trent with a grin of her own. "I suppose it didn't help that that one lady…oh what was her name?"

"Mrs. Anderson." Trent rolled his eyes, almost chuckling aloud as he remembered that little incident.

"Yes, Mrs. Anderson. Was it two hours we spent at her house talking about tea leaves and popular embroidery methods?"

Trent finally laughed a bit. "Yeah. It was probably only about forty-five minutes. But it sure felt like it was that long."

Katheryn chuckled lightly. "At least the tea was good."

"True."

Despite the unfortunate lack of progress in the day, Katheryn was immediately stirred into joy as familiar aromas of one of her favorite meals gently wafted into the living room from the faraway kitchen. She let off a small smile as she gathered herself to her feet.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to go see what smells so good."

Trent grinned. "I was wondering how long it would take you to smell that."

Katheryn swatted Trent on the leg before she continued forward through the dining room and to the kitchen where Tommy was busy gathering plates from the nearby cupboard. He gently set the stack of seven on the counter and crossed the room to the drawer for the silverware while Mrs. Malloy was busy dishing up a large serving bowl of salad to go with the baked chicken and homemade macaroni and cheese.

As Katheryn surveyed the scene before her she smiled. "I thought I smelled something good."

Mrs. Malloy handed Katheryn the salad with a pleasure-filled grin. "I knew you two probably had a rough day getting back into the swing of things. So I thought I'd fix your comfort food."

"What about Trent? Doesn't he get fruits of his labor too?"

"Oh, he will." Tommy chuckled. "Just wait for dessert."

"Ah, I see!" Katheryn laughed lightly before she proceeded to the dining room with the salad.

Katie was not far behind Kath, carrying a casserole dish of the piping hot cheesy goodness. She set it down on the table and raised her eyes to Katheryn from across the table. "So how's the investigation coming?"

"Not very good I'm afraid. We talked to three neighbors. One of which was no help. But we are now experts on basic homemaking skills."

"Speaking of annoying homemakers…." Tommy's sly grin caught Katheryn's attention. "I had a most fascinating chat with our neighbor today on my way back from Adam's house."

"Oh?" Katie glanced up at her son as she paused in the doorway to the living room.

"Yeah." Tommy almost laughed. "But I think I set her right."

"Tommy," Katie sighed. A bit of concern tempted her voice as she could just imagine the tongue-lashing she'd have to endure if Tommy had been as harsh to the woman as she feared. "What did you say to her, son?"

"Oh, I just told her to mind her own beeswax and that we're doing everything we can to find our own dog. Geez! That lady could command troops better than some soldiers out there."

"Tommy," Katie turned away, her face cradled in her hand as she sighed, wishing that Tommy had not been that direct with their meddlesome neighbor.

"What? What did I do?" Tommy looked from his mom to Katheryn and back again.

Katheryn simply smiled, patting him on the shoulder with a grin before she eased passed Mrs. Malloy. "I'll let everyone know dinner is ready."

"Thank you, dear." Mrs. Malloy smiled and turned back to her son, one hand propped on her hip. "Son, I'm sure you didn't say anything I wouldn't have said. But she's liable to lash out even harder now that you may have given her a reason to."

"True," Tommy cringed, seating himself and exhaling before rubbing his face in his hands. "Oh, she can just make a body angry."

"I know, son." Mrs. Malloy crossed to his side and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know. Believe me." Mrs. Malloy lifted up a brief chuckle as she glanced out the window with a sudden vision of the past. "I'll never forget the time your father came head to head with that woman when we first bought this place. She actually had the gall to give Thunder a list of things she wanted done to make the outside more presentable." Mrs. Malloy paused, giving the thought a smile before she sat down to look to her son.

Tommy, now clearly intrigued, propped his hand on his chin and grinned. "What did Dad do?"

"Oh, he tried ignoring her for a while. After all, the place was rather well-kept when we moved in. Nothing really needed to be done besides cutting the grass of course. That man was hard-set to not make a fool out of himself for the sake of the congregation. You know, being a minister and all. But one day, he let her have it."

Tommy couldn't stop grinning as he tried to picture the scene.

"And about one week later, she had made sure that the entire church had heard about his outburst. And of course she made herself look entirely innocent."

Tommy's smile turned to a frown.

"Oh, sure he tried explaining to everyone what happened," Katie continued with a softer smile than before. "But the only person who would believe him was Roscoe. Meanwhile, the entire church was having sympathy for this poor widow."

"Well, clearly Dad didn't get fired from the pulpit. So what happened?"

"Oh, it blew over when another congregation member had a run-in with her the next month. And Thunder decided to work in a nice sermon on peace and self-control to convince the congregation he was serious. But he still told me even after that that he wished he would have held his tongue in the first place. It would have saved himself a lot of trouble. No matter how big it was."

"I get it," Tommy sighed before smiling a bit. "I just couldn't stand her talking like we were sitting back and doing nothing. Trent and Kath shouldn't even be back on the job yet after their injuries. I guess it just felt like she was attacking my brother and friend. And I couldn't stand that."

"I know." Mrs. Malloy reached over and gripped Tommy by the arm gently with a smile of which the young man returned just as Trent and Katheryn entered with the youngest Malloys in tow.

##

Katheryn glanced at the clock on the wall with a deep exhale on her lips before feeling a wave of drowsiness that drove her to her feet. She shut her book firmly and put it on the coffee table. "I'm gonna head for bed. You coming?"

"Yeah." Trent stirred from his sleep with an inaudible yawn.

Katheryn smiled to herself and slipped into the foyer and up the stairs, noticing the door to Tandy's room was open as she was in route for the guest bedroom. Approaching the entrance, she set her hand against the doorknob and slowly opened it. She found Tandy curled beneath the covers, the light from the moon barely highlighting her feigned sleep.

Katheryn crossed to the little girl's side and bent low, scooting her hair out of her face. "Can't sleep?"

Tandy shook her head, not saying a word as she pulled her teddy tighter to her chest and sniffed away a tear.

"You thinking about Moses?"

Tandy nodded gently.

"Want me to tell you a story?"

Those words finally pulled a smile from Tandy.

"Alright then. Scooch over."

Tandy did as she was told and wiggled herself over so that Katheryn had plenty of room to sit on the bed.

With an elongated sigh, Katheryn glanced towards the ceiling and back down with a smile. "The year was 1861. The Civil War had just broken out in the United States between the north and the south. And there was this little girl named Charlotte who lived in a small town in Pennsylvania. And she was just about your age, Tandy. You see, she didn't have a mom or dad. They both were gone when she was very young. And she lived with a man named Mr. Wooster who ran the general store there in town. He was like a father to her.

"One day, Charlotte met a boy named Aaron. He was about nineteen. Anyways, they became friends quickly and had claimed each other as brother and sister by the time the Civil War started. Charlotte was heartbroken when Aaron told her he was leaving to join the army and fight in the war. In fact, she even swore she'd never forgive him. After all, he was the only friend she'd ever had. Well, a year passed, and he never came home. Charlotte was convinced he'd been captured…or worse. Until one day, she was tending the store for Mr. Wooster and in walked this soldier. In a deep voice, he approached her from behind as she was stocking some shelves and demanded service. When she turned around to wallop the man good with the can she was holding, she found Aaron there in a tattered blue uniform, smiling at her as bright as he could. She leapt into his arms and never wanted to let go."

Tandy smiled as she listened to the story. "What happened to Charlotte and Aaron?"

"Well, they both parted ways a few years later when Aaron bought some property in California. Charlotte stayed in Pennsylvania until she was around twenty years old and joined a wagon train that was heading for Utah." Katheryn paused to listen to the crickets chirping outside before she continued. "You see, Tandy. Sometimes when we think someone or something is lost, it's not. They're just away for a time. And pretty soon, they'll be back as if they had never left. What's important is that we don't let our imaginations run wild and start making us think the worse when it just isn't true."

Tandy's eyes drifted to the bed covers at her chin as she hugged her teddy again. "I guess that means Moses is alright?"

"I'm sure he is." Katheryn reached a hand to smooth out the little girl's hair, still smiling as she tucked her back in for the night. "Now you get some rest, Tandy. I'm sure he'll be back any day now. You just got to have a little faith."

"Goodnight, Katheryn." Tandy rolled onto her side and nestled her head in her pillow.

"Night, Tandy." Katheryn quietly slipped away from the bed only to be half-startled by Trent standing in the darkened doorway. "Trent Malloy, you almost scared me half to death," she whispered harshly and shoved them both out so she could close the door.

Trent was busy quelling his light laughter. "How's she doing?"

"I told her a story. Hopefully that will keep her hopes up."

"Let me guess. A Charlotte Wilson story?"

Katheryn smiled, raising her hand in the air. "Guilty as charged."

"We'd best be getting some rest," Trent insisted. "We've got a long day ahead of us." Trent turned towards his bedroom but stopped midstride, snapping his finger as he did so. "Oh, I almost forgot. There's a phone call for you."

Katheryn spotted Trent's grin and wanted to scold him but didn't. Instead she grinned her thanks. "I'll take it in my room." She was sitting on the edge of the bed in no time, phone in hand as fast as she could. "Hello?"

"Good evening."

Carlos' voice was a welcome delay to her evening, even though she currently was craving her share of sleep.

"Hi," Katheryn smiled. "To what do I owe this pleasure, sir?"

"Oh, so I can't just call a beautiful girl for no reason?"

"Depends on who this girl is." Katheryn relaxed into a grin as she swung herself onto the bed and leaned against the headboard with her sling-arm resting comfortably.

Carlos stifled his chuckle. "Oh, she's a keeper. Tall. Beautiful blonde hair. Hazel eyes. Sings like an angel and isn't too bad with a gun."

"Hmm. I've never met her. You'll have to introduce me sometime."

"I'll do that." Carlos paused as he gazed over the downtown Dallas skyline from his apartment window. He wanted to talk with Kath more but knew he had to tell her why he called. "On a serious note, I've got some more information about the girl you and Trent are looking for."

Katheryn sat up a bit straighter, eyeing the notepad on the nightstand. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Her mother's name is Victoria Morales. Morales is her maiden name. She's working at a diner on Commerce."

"How did you find this out?"

"A neighbor came by the department just before I left."

"Well, I guess you had better luck than Trent and I did."

"That bad?"

"Yeah."

"Well, look at the bright side. You didn't run into trouble. So you and Trent didn't overexert yourselves."

"I suppose," Katheryn sighed. "I guess Trent and I will head out to visit that diner first thing in the morning. See you tomorrow?"

"You can count on it."

Stifling a rather intense yawn, Katheryn said her reluctant goodbyes and hung up the phone. She was dressed for bed and tucked beneath the covers a short few minutes later with a smile and a grunt of relief as she felt her muscles relax. It was good to finally rest.

##

A bit of golden sunlight struck the sidewalk next to the park bench as a few runners went for a morning jog around the course while others hurried to make it to work in time, gripping coffee and briefcase as they scanned their watch for fear of tardiness. Still others were simple passersby in route to some errand or leisurely activity all while a helpless little girl began to wake up nearby.

Isabella sat up on the bench, arching her back as she yawned and rubbed at her eyes. Her back ached and her neck had an awful crick in it. She rubbed at it awhile before groaning a bit, hoping she could get it out with a little effort.

Moses then stirred by her feet, almost startling her as she remembered what had happened the night before. Perhaps she had been so tired that she couldn't quite remember if it had all been just a dream or not. She then smiled and petted the canine's head as he sat on his hind legs with his tongue out, panting away with the satisfaction of a good rest.

"¿Todavía está aquí, muchacho?"

Moses barked loudly twice and went back to panting, almost grinning.

Isabella chuckled, gathering herself off of the bench and hoisting her backpack onto her back. She patted the dog's head again. "Alright. Let's go. We've got to keep moving before papa can find us. I just know that diner is around here somewhere. We can't be far."

Suddenly Moses bolted forward into a run, stopping up ahead and looking back.

Isabella wrinkled her forehead, standing her ground. "What is it, boy? Why are you running?"

Moses barked and took a couple of steps forward.

¿Qué es? Isabella pleaded.

Moses barked again and took another step forward before turning back to look at the little girl.

"You want me to follow you?"

Moses barked yet again and nearly grinned.

"Alright." With a hesitant smile, Isabella followed the golden retriever down the sidewalk and across the street, dodging traffic dangerously as they worked their way across downtown Dallas with only hope to guide them.


	5. Part 5

"Dog Days of Dallas" PART FIVE

(final part)

"Hey, this looks like the place." Katheryn pointed to a diner just about a quarter of mile into Commerce Street as Trent took notice, steering his blue beauty into the narrow parking lot right up to an empty parking space by the door.

They both exited the vehicle at nearly the same time, giving the place an onceover before Trent opened the door for Katheryn with a smile as he followed. The cowbell-like device that was draped over the door handle jingled and caused a few curious eyes to raise from their breakfast as the two PIs observed their surroundings. They both nodded a couple of tight-lipped smiles to the strangers before taking up two seats at the counter.

Two waitresses were busy picking up orders at the window as the older one paused and turned to the younger one. "I'll take care of 'em." She left her post with a soft smile and stopped in front of Trent and Katheryn. After placing two menus in front of them, she smiled. "What'll it be for you folks? Coffee? The speedy? You two must be new around here. The speedy is what everyone gets when they ain't got sense enough to look over the menu. It's your basics. A slab of bacon and a pile of eggs. You get some Texas toast and tall glass of OJ to boot."

Trent smiled, folding his hands in front of him. "Sounds good. But we were hoping to speak to someone who works here actually."

The tall, rather filled-in middle-aged waitress wrinkled her forehead and darted her gaze between the twosome. "What? Are you two cops or something?" A grin twisted at the corner of her mouth on that last note.

"No." Katheryn smiled. "Private investigators actually. We're looking for a little girl and was told her mother may be working here."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Trent continued, catching a quick glance at Katheryn. "Her name's Victoria Morales. Have you seen her?"

Suddenly, a stack of dishes clattered onto the counter near the younger waitress followed by a gasp. The dark-haired young woman turned and shot wary glances towards Trent and Katheryn before bending low to the ground and picking up the one dish that had shattered.

The older waitress turned back to Trent. "What do want with her anyway? You think she kidnapped her little girl or something?"

"No, nothing like that. We just need to ask her some questions."

Katheryn quickly stood and ambled down the counter to where the younger waitress was still cleaning up the mess. She then bent down next to the woman and began helping her pick up the pieces. Kath noticed a tear the woman tried banishing as they exchanged weakened smiles.

Once the mess was finally cleaned up, Katheryn stood with the woman and offered her hand. "My name's Katheryn Beaumont. You're Victoria Morales, aren't you?"

"Sí," Victoria stammered as she gathered herself to her feet. "I—I don't speak much English. You forgive me?"

"Of course," Katheryn smiled and paused for a quick gathering of her thoughts. "Su hija...Isabella. ¿La has visto?"

Trent looked on with interest as he watched Katheryn connect with the woman, secretly quelling his surprise at how well Katheryn could speak in the woman's native tongue. It was the first time he had ever heard her speak in Spanish.

"No, no la he visto." Victoria's voice was sharp as she swiftly turned away back to the stack of plates she had salvaged.

Katheryn settled her hand on the woman's arm. "Habla con mi y mi amigo."

Victoria turned to Katheryn, her eyes filled with a bit of trepidation as she sighed and nodded despite her raging fears. She joined Katheryn and Trent in a nearby booth by the window, settling her face in her hands as she relived her past in those few not so quiet moments. The older woman brought them all steaming coffee to accompany their talks notwithstanding a few curious glances as she questioned what Victoria was doing talking with these strangers. Even so, she simply smiled and returned to her post behind the counter, casting a few glances their way every few minutes.

Trent and Katheryn then waited, letting Victoria speak in her own time.

"I heard about Jose on the news." Victoria sniffed and fumbled with the handle of her coffee cup unable to stir her gaze from the steam. "I was afraid Izzy was—was dead too." She stopped, bringing her hand to her mouth as her eyes welled with tears.

Katheryn reached across the table and squeezed Victoria's other hand gently. "As far as we know, Isabella is still alive. Do you think perhaps she might try to find you if she was in trouble?"

"Perhaps." Victoria nodded eagerly and began holding on to the hope that Izzy, as she had called her, was alive and perhaps searching for her. She turned to look out the sun-bathed window, remembering something that had happened a rather long time ago. At least it had felt like a lifetime since it had taken place. "There was one night last year. I had just left Jose when he nearly beat me to death in a drunken stupor. I wanted to take Izzy. There just wasn't time. And I knew what the police would think if Jose would have reported me missing. I didn't want that for Izzy. So I ran away to my sister's, filed for a divorce, and changed my last name. About a month after Jose finally signed the papers and we were no longer married, I got this job here. And—and then about a week later, I was working the late shift when I saw this little girl peer into the diner from outside. Of course I wanted to believe it was Izzy. But it was dark, and I wasn't sure. So I—I ignored her."

Victoria wept some before she took a deep breath, comforted by Katheryn's grip and Trent's encouraging words. "By the time I had worked up the courage to go outside and see if it was her, she was gone. And I never saw her again."

"Did you ever file for custody of Isabella after the divorce?" Katheryn queried.

Victoria nodded. "Once. He won. He try to make it look like I was a nagging wife who couldn't stay under one roof. The lawyer's words were so dribbled with honey to make him look innocent. I never had a chance."

"Did you ever speak with Jose after the trial?" Trent asked.

"No." Victoria shook her head, looking at Trent directly. "Never."

"Miss Morales," Trent inhaled. "Your daughter. She is a suspect in her ex-husband's murder."

Tears welled into Victoria's eyes as she covered her gaping mouth in shock. "Oh, God. She—she could never do something like. I won't believe it." She shook her head, turning away. "I won't. She's a good girl."

Katheryn tightened her grip on the woman's hand, searching for her eyes. "I believe you, Victoria. I do. But if we don't speak to Isabella, we have no way to prove her innocence. Especially if she continues to run. My guess is that she doesn't even know her father is dead."

Victoria hesitated but sniffed away her concerns as she turned to face the twosome. "Believe me, if I knew where she could be, I would tell you in a heartbeat. In fact, I wish she had come here."

Trent nodded. "I know." He glanced at Katheryn. "Victoria, I promise you we will find your daughter and clear her name."

"And we will have you speak with Alex Cahill, the assistant district attorney, about reopening your custody case," Kath inserted with a bit of hope shining her voice. "With the death of your husband, surely they would be willing to revisit the situation."

"Thank you." Victoria smiled and gripped Katheryn's hand in return. "Dios te bendiga."

Katheryn smiled. "Igualmente."

Trent and Katheryn were almost ready to leave, having finished their cups of coffee when the door handle's bell jangled, drawing the young waitress' gaze. Trent took notice of the shock in her eyes quickly followed by Kath's. The twosome swiftly turned around in their seat just as Victoria leapt from her seat and crossed the short distance to the little girl by the entrance.

"¡Mi pequeña niña! Oh, Izzy! ¡Mi bebé!" Victoria threw her arms around her daughter and embraced her as tears streamed down her face.

It wasn't long before smiles broadened on the two PIs faces also as a panting noise drew Trent's gaze to the ground next to him. He wrinkled his forehead just before Moses propped his two front paws on Trent's knee and barked out loud, drawing curious looks from strangers.

"Moses!" Trent chuckled and rubbed the dog's neck furiously. "Hey, there, buddy! Where have you been all this time?" Trent glanced over at the joyful reunion between mother and daughter and then back at Moses. "So you wanted a little piece of the action too, huh?"

Trent laughed a little bit more before Katheryn leaned over to say her welcome greetings in the only language the canine would understand. She rubbed his head a decent amount before quelling her laugh to a gentle smile.

"Alright! Stop it right there!" A man stood before them by the counter's barstools, a rifle in hand pointed directly at Victoria and Izzy.

Light screams echoed around them as fellow patrons began fearing for their lives. Meanwhile, Trent and Katheryn sat motionless, their eyes on the supposed criminal before them.

"What do you want?" Trent's sharp voice cut into the silence.

"It's none of your affair, boy!"

"I'm afraid it is." Trent motioned for Moses to crawl under the table with a subtle motion of his foot.

With Katheryn tucked behind Trent in the booth, it provided the perfect cover she needed as she reached her unseen hand by her hip and debated if she could draw her Smith and Wesson properly to defend them all. It was a rather tight space. One that didn't afford much secrecy if she were to attempt a draw. She then glanced downward. Trent was trying to sign something to her under the table. She couldn't quite make it out but assumed he was telling her to hold off on firing her gun.

"Who are you?" Katheryn spoke up instead. "And man who has a need to point a gun at a helpless little girl and her mother should at least be able to say who the rotten scum behind it all is."

This aggravated the man as he began sweating a bit, his all-black attire most likely making him warmer as he shook the gun in their faces. "Now, I'm just doing what I had to. Jose owed me money. He got what was coming to him!"

"You killed Jose Ramirez?"

"He deserved it! So yeah!"

Trent had caught him in his own trap. With a subtle smile to Kath, Trent sighed. "I'm not going to say this again. Put the gun down! I'm placing you under citizen's arrest for the murder of Jose Ramirez."

"You can't do that!"

"Oh, yes I can. And I will. Now put down your weapon."

Izzy's gentle whimpers was all that could be heard in the pin-drop silence as the man panted and weighed his options.

"Sorry," the criminal smiled. "Can't do that." Without warning, he aimed the gun at Victoria's back as the mother shielded her daughter from the line of fire.

Trent sprang from the seat with a forward kick to the chest dispensed by the heel of his shoe. But it had not come in time as the gun went off, echoing throughout the little restaurant while Moses' bark mingled within it.

"Moses! No!" Katheryn shouted as the canine flew from his hiding spot, overtaking Victoria and Isabella onto the ground.

The criminal toppled to the ground only to recover, raising his rifle butt in the air to strike Trent. Just as Trent dodged the blow, he blocked it followed by a high kick to the goon's face before he twisted the man's muscular arm downward, dispensing of the weapon before sending him flying over onto his back with a loud crash onto the checked flooring.

Katheryn sprang into action, drawing out her weapon and aiming it at the man's back with her foot on top of him. Trent quickly picked up the rifle in the aftermath of the fight and released the bullets onto the floor. He then reached inside his leather jacket for his cell phone and dialed Carlos before hanging up and cuffing the large man's hands behind his back.

"Perrito!" Izzy's shrill cry caught both Trent and Katheryn off guard, drawing their gazes.

"Oh, my God!" Katheryn holstered her gun and ran over to where Moses lay helpless on the ground. She quickly asked for Victoria's apron and rolled the cotton material into a decent ball to apply pressure to the dog's wound.

Trent hurried to their side and looked the animal over. "Looks like the bullet went clean through his shoulder."

"He's still alive though," Katheryn insisted, inserting as much hope into the situation as possible.

Trent sighed as he could tell the dog was slipping away from them quickly. He reached for his cell phone once more as he stood to his feet and paced to the door. "I'll call 911."

##

The youngest of the Malloys did not take the news about Moses well. It had been bad enough that he was lost. But to have him shot so cruelly and days before Tandy's ninth birthday was almost too much. Moses had survived the trip to the animal hospital thanks to Trent's quick action and Katheryn's firm praying. It was only a matter of waiting now according to the vet. He had tended the wound and kept the infection at bay. If the dog survived over the course of the next day, he would most likely make a full recovery. Yet none of the Malloy family could keep their focus on any sort of recreational activity that night. It had been a long day of waiting already and still there was another sleep to get through before they would know anything for sure.

"King me." Tommy rubbed his face in his hands as he yawned and leaned back to relax on the sofa, waiting for Katheryn to make her move. He stared for another minute before reaching over and poking her on the arm. "Hey, king me."

Katheryn jerked softly and gave Tommy a glare as she looked over the board game. "Sorry."

"Where were you at?" Tommy scoffed, smiling a little.

Katheryn kinged Tommy and made a move herself. "I was just thinking about Isabella."

"And?" Tommy made his final move, securing his victory with a sassy chuckle.

Katheryn rolled her eyes and began resetting the board. "I just can't imagine what all she went through with her father before she ran away."

"Yeah." Tommy frowned. "At least the guy who killed him won't be getting out of prison any time soon."

"Yup. Alex called just before dinner and said that with mine and Trent's testimony, it will be practically open and shut."

"That's good." Tommy made the first move in their next game.

Katheryn watched carefully, deliberating her first move. "She also said that when Walker and Trivette questioned him, he said that Jose Ramirez had been involved in a few crimes of his own. It's a wonder he was able to keep all that hidden to keep Isabella."

Tommy shook his head. "Makes you wonder how many more sickos are out there as we speak."

"Yep," Katheryn sighed, making a few more moves before she grinned at Tommy. "King me!"

Tommy sighed sharply and did as he was told, losing the game a few short moments later.

Katheryn laughed and stood to her feet, crossing to the window to look out on the porch where Trent and Molly where engaged in conversation. After smiling over the little scene, Kath let the blind fall back into place and proceeded into the foyer and up the stairs, curiously wondering where Tandy and Ty had run off to. She returned back downstairs moments later with no luck, glancing around herself as she met Mrs. Malloy at the feet of the stairs.

"What's wrong?" Katie asked, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

"I can't find Tandy or Tyler."

Mrs. Malloy glanced down the hall to the side entrance. "Try out there."

"Thanks." Katheryn flashed a grin and hurried through the short hall and out into the twilight skies, shutting the door softly as she spotted Tandy sitting on the step's edge, her elbows propped on her knees as she cradled face in both hands. Ty was busy shooting some hoops at the far side of the driveway.

Katheryn took a seat by Tandy, not saying a word at first as she took a deep, satisfying breath and smiled at the feeling the night brought on.

Tandy hardly said a word either, not acknowledging Katheryn's presence.

"You know," Katheryn finally spoke, leaning gently towards the little girl. "Moses was really brave today."

Silence.

"If it wouldn't have been for him, a little girl and her mom could have died."

Tandy sighed softly, not stirring. "But he still got hurt."

"That doesn't mean he's going anywhere. Don't you remember when I got shot?"

Tandy nodded.

"I came back, didn't I?"

Tandy nodded again.

"Well then, you just got to have a little faith."

"I did," Tandy reasoned. "And he still got hurt."

"Tandy," Katheryn sighed. "Sometimes the people we love get hurt. But it doesn't mean our faith was for nothing. Moses helped us find that little girl and save her life. If it wouldn't have been for your faith, we may have not gotten either one of them back."

"I suppose you're right," Tandy sighed, surrendering to the idea a bit better.

"Besides," Katheryn grinned, reaching a hand to smooth out the girl's hair. "I know one particular dog who would be sad to hear that his favorite little girl is sad just a few days before her birthday."

Kath had finally pulled a smile from Tandy, the girl's cheeks regaining a bit of color as she stretched a grin across her face.

"Well, since you put it that way."

"That a girl." Katheryn reached her arms around Tandy for a warm embrace just before she glanced up to see a figure coming up the driveway. She subconsciously felt for her firearm in her mind as she let Tandy go, gathering them both to their feet.

"Mrs. Malloy?"

"No," Katheryn smiled as she began making out the figure of an older woman before her. When the woman stopped, Katheryn extended her hand, keeping her other hand around Tandy as they stood side by side. "I'm Katheryn Beaumont. Mrs. Malloy is inside. Would you like me to get her for you?"

"No," the woman insisted with a rather deep sigh following. "I—I just wanted to come and offer my condolences." Although apprehensive at first, she extended her hand to accept Katheryn's handshake. "I'm Penelope Williams. Your neighbor down the street. I'm sure you've heard a lot about me." The woman's gaze fell as shame overtook her.

Katheryn smiled. "Yes, I've heard much. But don't worry. We are all still friendly."

Tandy tugged on Katheryn's shirttail. "Is she that mean lady from down the street?"

Quelling her laughter, Katheryn set a hand gently on Tandy's head as she looked back up towards Mrs. Williams. "So, is this just a social call?"

"Yes, it is." Mrs. Williams bent low and extended a plate to Tandy. It was covered with saran wrap tucked snuggly about its contents. The scent was rather strong and enticing, drawing the little girl's attention rather suddenly. "They're oatmeal cookies. I thought you might appreciate them."

"That's my favorite!" Tandy smiled.

Katheryn took the plate from Mrs. Williams and handed it to Tandy. "Why don't you take these inside and show mama."

"Okay." Tandy broke into a bit of a run as she hurried up the steps and strode inside, calling for Mrs. Malloy as her voice faded into the distance.

Katheryn ceased her laughs, turning back to their guest. "Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?" She pointed back towards the house with her thumb. "There's a fresh pot on."

"Oh, no. That's okay. I've got to get back home before Harry misses me. I—I just wanted to come say I'm sorry for all I put you guys through. I truly didn't realize that you and that Malloy boy were real private investigators. I guess I've been holed up in that house for too long. And—I never wanted something like this to happen to that poor creature. In fact, I'm not even sure it was him causing the trouble since my petunias got chewed up again today."

Katheryn reached her hand to touch the woman's arm. "It's okay. I tell you what, we are having a birthday party for Tandy on the fourth. Consider yourself invited. We'd love to have you."

"Why, that's nice of you, darling." Mrs. Williams smiled broadly for the first time as eagerness enveloped her demeanor. "Do you need a cake made? I used to have a business a long time ago. I even made one for the governor's reception back in 1973."

Katheryn chuckled. "I'll have to ask Mrs. Malloy. I'm sure she'd be glad to take you up on that offer if necessary."

"Oh, thank you!" Penelope reached forward for a hug. "I must be getting going. But you folks have a good night."

"You too!" Katheryn waved as she made sure Mrs. Williams made it safely down the driveway before she turned to go back inside. As she did so, she paused, curiosity getting the best of her.

Katheryn quietly tiptoed alongside the side veranda while listening to the crickets chirp and stopped as she came to the corner of the house. She slowly peeked around the corner through the darkness, her hand set against the wall, just in time to see Trent as he slipped his hand around Molly's neck and drew her into a gentle kiss. Katheryn wanted to shout victory but held her tongue, feeling those joyous exclamations welling in her throat. Katheryn had better hurry inside, she concluded, briskly retracing her steps before she burst at the seams, ruining the entire moment.

##

A more perfect day could not have been planned had it been special ordered straight from the sky. Only a few wispy, white clouds dotted the sky here and there over 118 Providence Way as cars began to arrive, parking along the street by the careful direction of Tommy Malloy. Carefully situated above the veranda just below the second story balcony of the Malloy home was a large banner with the words _Happy Birthday Tandy_ inscribed in large letters across the shiny material. It whipped a bit in the gentle winds that drifted across the yard, just barely threatening the table cloth that was draped over the folding table that Trent had just put out moments ago. Mrs. Malloy was now busy decorating it a bit before the guests would arrive with most likely a few gifts in tow.

Tall streams of mesquite-smelling smoke wafted over the entire driveway into the front yard just as Molly bounded from the side entrance of the Malloy home with a plate of cookies in hand. She stopped by the table near the grill, setting the plate down and lifting a smile to Trent as he flipped several burgers over the hot, licking flames. They exchanged a fond gaze and a pair of smiles before Molly took a step back to examine the table. It was perfect. The perfect blend of comfort foods and good Texas barbeque awaited their guests of close friends and family to celebrate this special day. She grinned her approval and hurried back inside to check on the progress with the cake. Thankfully, Mrs. Williams had been gracious enough to consent her services to make the birthday girl a cake for her special day.

"Hey now, that's where you're wrong, big dog." Trivette laughed as he and C.D. made their way up the driveway towards Trent.

"No, no, Jimmy!" C.D. insisted rather loudly with a lift of his hand. "See, you haven't been down here long enough for our ways to rub off on you."

"What?! Not long enough?"

"Yeah. You see, it takes a rather long time for the ways of a Texan to be inbred into a foreigner. Isn't that right, Trent old boy?" C.D. paused, darting a glance to Trent.

Trent chuckled, lifting his hands with the grilling tongs still in one hand. "Uh-uh. I'm staying out of this one. Besides, I don't even know what you guys are talking about to have an opinion here."

"Oh, smarty pants here was just trying to convince be that a rack of ribs over a barbeque beats a campfire hotdog any day."

C.D. glared at Trivette. "Oh, is that right? Who are you calling smarty pants?"

"Well, you two can stop arguing for now since I'm grilling burgers. Unless either of you have any disagreements?"

"No, son, I believe that's a good compromise." C.D. grinned, rolling his eyes back to Trivette with a scowl. "Sure is a bit closer to the real thing than no boil-on-the-stove fake wiener."

"Geez!" Trivette sighed, redirecting his attention to Trent as he ambled around to look at the food on the grill.

Roscoe and Adam were the next guests to arrive, quickly adding two more gifts to the sparse to table that Mrs. Malloy had set up before they were greeted by warm hugs and smiles from Katheryn and Molly a short moments later. Mrs. Malloy soon followed from behind, embracing Roscoe and Adam before noticing another car arrive. Alex emerged from her vehicle and smiled broadly as she drew out her gift from the back of the car before pausing to give Tommy a hug before continuing up the driveway.

Katheryn was the first to give Alex a hug as she arrived to the scene of their joyous conversations. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"Me too!" Alex drew away from the embrace and surveyed the spread. "My, you guys really outdid yourselves."

Molly grinned, easing in for a hug after Katheryn. "You should see the cake Mrs. Williams is putting the finishing touches on right now."

The three ladies chuckled before glancing upward as another vehicle arrived. The deep black Durango pulled to a stop behind Trivette's little Mustang on the street, the engine power down almost in unison as Carlos reached over the passenger side of the vehicle for the gift he had brought and stood out of the vehicle.

"If you ladies would excuse me…" Katheryn slipped past Alex and Molly, drawing smiles from the two ladies as she caught up to Carlos.

Alex and Molly watched as he stopped, stealing a quick but mutual welcome kiss from Katheryn while the twosome carried on with the inaudible conversation. Carlos handed Katheryn his present, and Katheryn set it with the others on the table nearby before the couple ambled over to join Trent and Trivette in whatever riveting conversation was going on over there.

"So where's the birthday girl?" Alex grinned towards Molly, walking alongside the young woman as they approached the buffet table.

Molly frowned, reaching a hand to resituate the potato salad. "She's in her room."

Alex's brows furrowed in concern. "Why? It isn't quite a birthday party without the birthday girl."

"I know. She's still pretty upset about Moses." Molly turned back to Alex. "Speaking of, have you heard from Ranger Walker?"

Alex shook her head. "No. Not since last night. I called to make sure the plan was still in place. He said he'll be here by four."

"Good!" Molly grinned, glancing at her watch. It was ten minutes until. "I'll go see if Tandy is ready."

"Alright," Alex smiled with a sense of eagerness as she glanced towards the road. Tommy was busy greeting Butch McMann as he arrived. Still, Walker had not yet arrived. Alex silently prayed that everything would go smoothly, allowing Walker to come through with the surprise that they along with Trent, Molly, and Katheryn had devised over the past several days.

"Well, we have some news," Katheryn said resolutely, slipping around to watch Trent dish up the last of the burgers.

"Oh?" Trent glanced up from the hot flames, handing Kath the platter of meat.

"Molly and I have been given the go ahead to move back into our apartment tomorrow."

"Already?" Mrs. Malloy frowned having overheard the conversation from the veranda as she brought out the plates and napkins for the buffet table.

"Afraid so," Katheryn replied with a glint of sadness in her eyes. She looked the Malloy home over as she carried the burgers to the table, stopping beside Katie. "I can without a doubt say that I'll miss this place."

Mrs. Malloy chuckled. "Well, you can come visit us anytime, hon."

"Oh, I know. It's just that staying here this past week has reminded me a lot of when I first came to Dallas and stayed with y'all for a while when the H.O.P.E. center was having some renovations done. Besides, what are y'all going to do for bedtime stories when I leave?" Katheryn grinned.

Mrs. Malloy set her hand on Kath's shoulder. "Looks like you'll have to write that book you've been telling us all about. I'm sure Tandy would just love reading it. Especially if it's anything like the stories you've been telling her at night. Oh, Lord! You should have heard her carry on about them when you left the house."

Katheryn was pleased to hear how much her stories had cheered the little girl up in consideration of the recent unfolding circumstances. With a final smile, Kath turned to see Trivette walking her when. His eyes were sparkling with excitement as he stopped next to her and threw his arm around her.

"What?" Kath stared him in the eyes, almost unable to control a laugh from escaping her mouth.

"Oh, I just overheard what you said. And I tell you what…" Trivette began walking across the driveway, taking Katheryn with him as he grinned from ear to ear. "We should be partners. You write the stories, I'll market them. We could be rich, I'm telling you."

From a distance, Carlos saw Katheryn scoff. He gently elbowed Trent, chuckling softly. "Looks like he got her."

"Yep," Trent grinned. "Looks like it."

"Alright, everyone!" Mrs. Malloy's voice suddenly stirred them all into silence, turning towards the veranda. "I believe the birthday girl has something she'd like to tell everyone."

Mrs. Malloy stepped aside to reveal a young Tandy. Her gaze was a bit lower than normal, but a smile softly twisted at her lips as she scanned the small crowd of family and friends.

"I—I just wanted to say thanks for coming," Tandy offered, laying her head against her mother's hip with a broad smile playing at her gentle features.

Suddenly, Molly and Mrs. Williams appeared in the doorway and eased passed the birthday girl. Molly's face glinted with the light that bounced from the nine birthday candles atop the rather delicious-looking rectangular surface. She bent down gently towards Tandy and began singing "Happy Birthday" to the little girl. Soon, everyone there joined in the chorus, bringing a blushing grin across Tandy's face. An eruption of cheers followed along with claps and whistling just before all eyes fell upon Ranger Walker's truck as the brakes squeaked upon his arrival.

Trent stepped up next to Molly with Katheryn on his other side soon join by Carlos on the end as they waited, glancing between Tandy's curious glances and the Ranger's careful movements as he turned off the engine and climbed out of the truck, pausing to wish Tandy a happy birthday. He then slipped his hand into the narrow backseat, securing his hand on some object before he reached with both hands.

All eyes watched, a handful of them particularly intrigued and nearly to the point of eager anticipation.

Walker then slowly backed away from the truck, his arms filled with a bundle of canine joy. He turned around to face Mrs. Malloy and Tandy with a broad smile. "Happy birthday, Tandy."

"Moses!" Tandy yelled before she ran forward unapologetically.

Walker bent low to the ground, setting the golden retriever on the pavement gently. "Now, be careful. He's still getting better."

Tandy stopped suddenly and threw her arms around Moses' neck as she fell to her knees. "Oh, I'll be careful, Ranger Walker." She then loosened her grip just a bit to be sure she was following orders, as she looked up into the Ranger's bright smile.

"Let me guess," Carlos rolled his eyes towards Trent, Katheryn, and Molly while he crossed his arms at his chest. "You guys had this planned?"

"Yup!" Molly grinned from across the way to Carlos.

Katheryn poked Carlos in the side, drawing a fake display of pain from him. "Oh, don't feel bad. It's not our fault you were busy with a case."

"Still," Carlos insisted. "You could have at least let me in on it."

"Now where would all the fun be in that?" Trent grinned and reached behind Kath to slap Carlos on the back.

Carlos only glared back at Trent while the ladies stifled their laughs.

Katheryn took a moment, zoning her best friends' commotion out for just long enough to watch Tandy's joy return to her face. Love. One of the strongest forces known to man and the most treasured throughout the earth. Most people go searching for it and never find it. And yet this little girl had found it within the bond of friendship with a dog. Some may deny it. But as Katheryn saw the happiness in Tandy's eyes, she could only reflect upon how blessed she was to be spending this day with the people that truly meant everything to her.

Glancing back at Trent, Molly, and Carlos by her sides as she came out of the reverie, Katheryn smiled. For she had found a strong bond with these three that she concluded could not be easily shaken no matter what might come their way.


End file.
